Satmar Rebbe Inscribes Letter in Chabad House Torah

Prior to Orange County Chabad’s Communal Siyum Sefer Torah event, a delegation of family, friends and Orange County Jewish representatives visited the Satmar Rebbe, R’ Aaron Teitelbaum, in Monroe to participate by writing a letter.

The delegation was led by Shliach to Orange County Rabbi Pesach Burston, and included: Sofer Rabbi Moshe Klein, Head Shliach Rabbi Yisroel Rubin, Chabad Board Member Jim Rogers and Dr. Sergey Koyfman of the community, Shliach’s family members Rabbi Chaim B. Burston, Mr. Aaron Gellman, Rabbi Dr. Pinny Young and his son Yaakov, Duvy Burston (shliach’s son), and Yossi Burston.

The Satmar Rebbe welcomed the delegation, greeting each person. While waiting for the new letter ink to dry, the Sofer, Rabbi Moshe Klein, discussed laws and vertlach about writing a Torah with the Satmar Rebbe.

Regarding the significance of the Torah starting with the second letter Beis (not Aleph), Rabbi Klein mentioned a Vilna Gaon insight, that the Hebrew letters Alpeh Mem Taph – truth – values add up (in “Mispar Katan” single digits) to the number 9, a unique “True” number, all of whose multiplying factors, such as 18, 36, 54, 72, 81, 108 etc. also add up to 9.

The Satmar Rebbe noted Rabbi Klein’s quoting the Vilna Gaon (a historic opponent of Chasidism), but Rabbi Klein pointed to Sichos where the Rebbe repeatedly mentions the Vilna Gaon. Rabbi Klein also gave the Satmar Rebbe writings of the Tzemach Tzedek on related subjects, noting that the Satmer Rebbe traces his ancestry to the Mitteler Rebbe. The Satmar Rebbe mentioned Devorah Leah’s self-sacrifice to save the life of her father the Alter Rebbe.

Regional Shliach Rabbi Yisroel Rubin presented his Albany Haggadah “Marbeh Lesaper.” Leafing through the Hagaddah, the Satmar Rebbe showed amazement that all 400 pages elaborate just on the one Paragraph of the Sages retelling ‘Sipur Yetzias Mitzraim’ all night.

In exchange, the Satmar Rebbe gave Rabbi Rubin a copy of his sefer “Lev Aaron” on Pirkay Avos, and extended his Mazal Tov greetings for Chabad’s New Torah, as well as Pesach wishes to the Orange County community.

The Satmar Rebbe also mentioned that he davens by Rabbi Denenbaum in Chabad of Palm Springs, and also expressed his gratitude to Rabbi Levi Shemtov (who assisted him when his flight was stranded due to a snow storm).

Photos by Yaakov Rosenthal